Adjustable sprinkler system



Oct. 4, 1960 E. o. HATANAKA ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 26,1959 INVEN TOR. 5297/1/09 0. Rpm/VI? FIG. 6.

r 2,954,934 Patented Oct. 4, i960 ice ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER SYSTEMEarthur '0. Hatanaka, 1420 S. New Hampshire, los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 788,843

4 Claims. (Cl. 239-231) The present invention relates to improvements insprinkler systems which are adjustable for watering diiferent patternsin lawns, shrubbery and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved patternsprinkler system which may be accurately adjusted using a plurality ofindependently adjustable elements, all of which after preliminaryadjustment may be firmly secured so that water pressure and vibration donot alter the adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler systemas set forth in the preceding paragraph incorporating a rotarysprinkler.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsprinkler system of this character which incorporates novel water streamintercepting elements and which incorporates novel means for effectingadjustment of the same. i

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sprinkler system embodyingfeatures of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 4.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the deviceillustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the band upon which theadjustable elements are mounted; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating one of the bands used inlocking the deflecting elements in position once they have beenadjusted.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a conventional sprinkler10 having mounted thereon a structure 11 embodying features of thepresent invention for establishing the pattern sprinkled by thesprinkler 10.

The sprinkler 10 may be of any of the well known types which arecommercially available in which a stream of water is automatically andperiodically interrupted when and as the sprinkler head is rotated instep-by-step fashion through either a full circle or oscillated througha limited sector of a circle. Since the sprinkler '10 per se isconventional and well known in the art, a detailed description of thesame need not be included here. However, for the purpose of reference,the sprinkler 10' may be considered to be of the construction shown inthe Englehart US. Patent 2,256,737, issued September 23, 194 1.

The nozzle of the sprinkler 10 is represented at 12 and serves to directa stream of water in the direction indicated by the dotted line 13. Suchstream 13 may be a continuous stream or a pulsed stream, i.e. in whichthe stream is periodically interrupted. The sprinkler 10 is of thesocalled reaction type in which the water pressure serves to rotate oroscillate the nozzle 12 about a vertical axis corresponding to the axisof the conduit 14 through which the water flows from the connectingfitting to the nozzle 12.

The conduit 14 has mounted thereon the structure 11 and for that purposethe structure 11 is supported by three equally spaced radially extendingarms 15', 16, and 17 which are somewhat flexible and have their innerends welded to a split collar 18, the collar 18 in turn being clamped tothe conduit 14 by the bolt and nut combination 19 as shown in Figure 2.The upper ends of the arms 15, 16 and 17 are fixed to equally spacedcircumferential points on the cylindrical member 20 such that the axisof such cylindrical member 20 is co-extensive with the axis of theconduit 14.

As shown in Figure 3, this cylindrical member or drum 20 has a flangeportion 20A for supporting an apertured transparent plastic shield 22.This drum 20 has a series of equally spaced apertured portions 20Blocated substantially midway between the ends of the drum 20 i forsupporting corresponding ones of a plurality of water- Q deflectingelements 24.

These elements 24 are individually adjustable using the construction nowdescribed. Each of the deflectors 24 has a longitudinally extendingslotted portion 24A through which a machine bolt 26 extends, such bolt26 extending also through a corresponding one of the apertured portions20B. A prestressed coil compression spring 28 has one of its endsabutting the inner wall of the drum20 as shown in Figure 3 and the otherone of its ends abutting the washer 29, such washer 29 being mounted inadjusted position by the nut 30 on bolt 26. The nut 30 is adjusted toprovide a desired frictional connection between the correspondingdeflector 24 and the outer surface of the drum 20 whereby the deflector24 may be movedto any one of a plurality of adjusted positions asindicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

It is noted further that each of the deflectors 24 has integrally formedside plates 24B and 24C at opposite sides thereof for cooperation withlike; plates on adjacent deflectors 24 whereby adjacent deflectors serveas guides for movement of the particular deflector which isindependently adjusted. Also, each of the deflectors 24 has a pair ofintegrally formed tongues 24D and 24E at opposite ends thereof, thelower one only of which is effective for deflecting or interrupting thestream of water. It will also be noted that the lowermost tongue 24Dextends downwardly and outwardly with the plane of the tongue being sodisposed that it makes an acute angle with respect to the axis of thewater stream as indicated by the angle A in Figure 1. Each of thedeflectors 24 may be adjusted so that they completely interrupt the flowof water or may be so adjusted that the lower tongues 24D present asurface on which the water stream impinges with a glancing blow andassure dispersal of the water in a downward direction.

The transparent plate 22 serves as a shield in that it preventssplashing of the water upwardly while an adjustment is being made.

The assembly as described may be mounted on a base 32 adapted to rest onthe ground and fastened by means of flanges 31 to the assembly.

In operation, with the sprinkler locked in position and the Water turnedon, the deflectors 24 are adjusted individually and while suchadjustment is made, the operator is protected from splash by the screen22' which, because of its transparency, allows him also to observe thenature of the impingement of the water stream on the particulardeflector being adjusted. After each of the elements has been adjustedto establish a predetermined pattern, such adjustment may be securedusing the flexible clamping bands 34 and 35, each of which isconstructed 3 as illustrated in Figure 6'. These clamping bands 34 and35 rigidly hold each of the deflectors 24 in adjusted position using forthat purpose-fastening means 36 passing through apertured ends ofcorresponding bands.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. 'In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combinationcomprising, Water sprinkhng assembly having a turnable element adaptedto turn the stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, astationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a pluralityof deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, eachof said deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on theperiphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extendingparallel to the axis otthe drum to restrict the range of said waterstream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position,whereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, eachdeflector having an elongated slotted portion, said drum having anapertured portion, a bolt passing through said slotted and aperturedportions, a nut on said bolt and a spring confined by said nut andfunctioning to resiliently press the deflector on said drum.

2. In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combinationcomprising, water sprinkling assembly having a turnable element adaptedto turn the stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, astationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a pluralityof deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, eachof said deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on theperiphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extendingparallel to the axis of the drum to restrict the range of said waterstream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position,whereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, anda common clamping element for engaging and clamping said deflechaving aplurality of deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as itturns, each of said deflectors being individually adjustablymounted onthe periphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extendingparallel to the axis of the drum torestrict the range of said waterstream as desired or away from said path to an inoperativeposition,lwhereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may bewatered, said drum having a downwardly inturned edge, and a transparentplate serving as a splash shield mounted on saidinturned edge.

4. In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combinationcomprising, water sprinkling assembly having a turnable element adaptedto turnthe stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, astationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a pluralityof deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, eachotsaid deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on the peripheryof said drum and movable thereon in a direction extending parallel tothe axis of the drum to restrict the range of said water stream asdesired or away from said path to an inoperative position, whereby anarea bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, each of saiddeflectors comprising an elongated element having an elongated slottedportion and outwardly turned plate elements which cooperate with likeplate elements on adjacent deflectors for guidingthe deflector duringadjustment of the same, and fastening means passing throughsaidelongated slot for securing said deflector on said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

